PieceWork May/June 2013

Welcome to PieceWork's 6th Annual Look at the Magical World of Lace!

This issue offers fascinating facts on lace—knitted, needle, bobbin, tatted, crocheted, and machine-made. You’ll discover some people who have been captivated by lace and others who spent long, grueling hours producing this ethereal fabric.

Margaret Stove explores the history behind a “Shetland Knitter in New Zealand” and provides the pattern for her stunning knitted Shetland Scarf. Delve into the life of the children who created bobbin lace in the 17th century, and the chants they recited as they worked in “Spinsters, Free Maids, Tells, and Shakespeare.” Make your own exquisite needle-lace insert, using the same traditional stitches that students and teachers used to create an altar cloth for the Sacred Heart Sanctuary in 1927. For tatters, there are instructions for making an edging and a medallion, along with the inspiring story of Lily Mae Burley Patrick, who continued to be a master tatter although she was blind. For many Russian women, receiving a gift of a traditional Orenburg warm shawl was a highlight. Galina Khmeleva shares her pattern for this lacy labor of love.

There’s so much more to discover in this special issue all about lace.